Centuries ago the Greeks understood the importance of the mind/body connection. They recognized that you can't separate spiritual well-being from physical well-being.

Today we know that taking care of your physical health helps you cope better with psychological stress. And a good night's sleep is a key part of the equation.

Overwhelming data demonstrate that when you don't get predictable and restorative sleep, you're more likely to suffer from irritability, anxiety, depression and a number of other health problems, including heart conditions.

So what can you do to get a good night's sleep? Experts recommend:

Have a relaxing bedtime routine. You can't go full-speed all day and then expect to simply turn off the light and fall asleep. You need to set aside time, at least half an hour, to allow yourself to wind down from the events of the day.

Maintain a consistent bedtime. Within reason, you should go to bed and wake up on a consistent schedule. If you don't have some major sleep disorder, you can sometimes catch up by sleeping an extra hour or two on a weekend, but don't use that as an excuse to chronically short-change yourself on sleep.

Keep your sleeping area dark, cool and quiet. If you're in a place where you can't control the light, try this tip: Use padded eyeshades to block out light. If noise is an issue, consider noise-blocking earplugs or headsets.

Prevent interruptions. Ask family members and roommates to respect your need for uninterrupted sleep. Remind them that sleep is not optional and explain that sleep deprivation can have serious consequences — as witnessed by the number of single car accidents in the early morning hours.

It's become a badge of honor in today's driven society to push the envelope and burn the candles at both ends, but you can only do this so long before you flame out. To protect your quality of life, give yourself the gift of restorative sleep.

I've tried it all ....I actually don't believe I've ever known what restorative sleep is. Mornings are a nightmare . Exhaustion is overwhelming

Debra Hendriks

July 22, 2013 4:14 p.m.

I completely agree with M.
I also have a comment with Tom. I was in the hospital and have the delay in completing urinating. If I waited some minutes I could finish and then not need to bother anyone for hours. But the staff complained and no one wanted to spend the time waiting with me!

Kerlee

June 26, 2013 5:42 p.m.

I've suffered heart preventricular contractions, aka PVC's, for 55 years. Am a retired USAF pilot of 78; my condition was known my entire career. (They started after flunking a flight check in training) Stress test and ekg back then, ok, so I wasn't worried about them. But, starting last year, my PVCs began waking me up at about 3am, and I can't get much more sleep til arising at 6:30. I have some fatigue some days from their loss of sleep. These night PVCs seem stronger than normal, and I feel them more, and even feel them through the bedding. My family doc had an echocardiogram done; it saw some PVCs and a murmur, which has been heard off and on for 50 years. Doc says no problems. Blood pressure still around 110/70. Mayo guidelines say caffeine is in the system for 6-8 hours; I quit it at about noon, but still have the PVCs. What's to do? Am going to eat a lot less at dinner, as I also suffer reflux. I gotta say I suffer little when traveling. Anxiety in the home town? Advice needed to regain uninterrupted sleep.

Pete

June 21, 2013 4:13 p.m.

Here's a problem I cannot find an answer to: an unruly bladder (I guess) has me up 6 times without fail. And each time is different in the number of times I urinate. It can be four, it usually is less. If I don't urinate all the times required (scheduled?), and return to bed, I will be up in 10-15 minutes. I feel the urges, but it can take a while--sometimes a long while--for urination to begin. I can wind up on the toilet for 20-minutes on some trips. I take two 0.4 flomax, but not sure what it does for me. And yes, I observe all the rules about liquid consumption prior to going to bed.

Tom

June 20, 2013 12:32 a.m.

very true, lately I had to visit the emergency service, I started to feel palpitation. Upon sending my pulse I found it is irregular, although I was not feeling anything else I decided to go and check it out.
The ECG showed premature atrial beats and irregular heart rythm. Lately I was not sleeping well and consuming a lots of coffee.
I took 3 days off from work and slept well, it is disappearing gradually.
Good mind is in good body and visa versa.
thanks for the article

Samir

June 19, 2013 5:59 p.m.

I too suffer from the menopausal wake ups. I fall asleep quickly but wake up several times a night. Most times, I wake up in a panic and am not aware of the reason. I recently picked up &quot;Fall asleep, stay asleep : relax into sleep, sleep through the night, awaken refreshed&quot; cd by Martin Rossman and play that immediately upon waking which seems to really be helping.

Janet

June 19, 2013 4:53 p.m.

I want to sleep and would give anything just to experience what 4 hrs of solid sleep is again. Most of these articles fail to mention anything valuable for dealing with the post menopausal nightmare that women face with sleep. I follow all the rules and advice. No problem falling asleep - I'm exhausted - but I can't stay asleep and get up every am feeling like I never went to bed.

M

June 9, 2013 5:00 p.m.

Great article, I printed a copy to keep in the house. Thanks!

Chris

June 5, 2013 8:45 p.m.

Can't get over the difference that living on a quiet street and not in the downtown area where lights and noise never stopped. Sleep so much better here naturally. The heavily lined drapes making a dark, quiet in hotel rooms is so appreciated when out of town.
Exercise, meditation, and eating balanced diets without spices do help also with sleep for me. However, our sweet dog, loves attention when the lights go out!

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